4 things great managers always do

Wednesday, February 14, 2018 - 09:50

It’s often been said, that people don’t leave jobs, they leave managers. That’s been proven by a recent survey which showed 34% of employees attributed their decision to leave a company directly to their manager or leadership.

Retaining and engaging your current team members is important for more than just continuity, as it’s been estimated that every new hire costs your organisation an average of $30,000. Replacing team members also means many wasted hours in advertising, interviewing, shortlisting, and onboarding - time you could spend doing something far more valuable!

With the war for talent now more competitive than ever, you simply can’t afford to have your best team members walking out the door because you haven’t been up to scratch as a manager. So, how can you get the best results out of your team while still ensuring that they’re engaged and committed to you as their leader?

Communicate with purpose

There’s a difference between simply talking to your team members and communicating as a manager. While it’s still a good idea to discuss last night’s episode of the Game of Thrones with your team, it’s twice as important to be crystal clear with your expectations on the tasks they’re completing. Also, don’t keep information from senior managers a secret if it will help your team members to succeed, and vice versa, ensure you’re communicating your teams’ needs to other managers.

Use emotional intelligence

Whether you like it or not, your team members pay close attention to everything you say and do. This is about more than just leading by example, as it’s about being mindful of your actions and behaviour, 100% of the time. Even your non-verbal cues and body language are being subconsciously evaluated by your team. Emotionally intelligent leaders learn the skills required to monitor their feelings and emotions, so they can be aware of how their emotions affect their behaviour in front of others.

Put people in a position to succeed

Your success as a manager ultimately comes down to the success of your team members. Think strategically about how to get the best from your people’s talents and give them the time and resources to achieve stated objectives. Also, don’t waste your own time on tasks that your team members are better placed to complete, as this will show you trust them. It’s also your responsibility to understand each individual’s preferred working style, so you can adjust their workload accordingly.

Spot opportunities for growth

Whether they’re a star performer or they’re falling behind, each of your team members will present unique opportunities for their individual growth. Some team members will be the ideal candidate for formal professional development in order to expand their role. Others might need some coaching and/or mentoring to help them get up to speed. Most of the time it’s as simple as giving some simple feedback about a job well done or areas for improvement. These opportunities appear every day so keep an eye out for them!

As a manager, life can sometimes be a bit hectic. The practices above don’t actually take much time out of your day, once you get into some new habits. Some extra effort towards being a great manager today will pay big dividends in the long run, as your team members will begin achieving big results that will give you a great reputation!